Ceren Göral

Master student

Enzymatically synthesized conductive hydrogels for the application as soft implantable electrodes

Supervisors: Hannah Kissel, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Electrically conductive hydrogels have gained increasing attention in bioelectronics for the development of implantable electrodes for neural interfaces. Their soft and flexible nature more closely matches the stiffness of neural tissue, unlike conventional electrodes such as platinum, which are rigid and cause chronic inflammation and signal degradation [1]. In this study, ADA-GEL is combined with polypyrrole (PPy), which is a commonly employed electrical conductive polymer due to its chemical stability, adjustable conductivity, and good biocompatibility [2]. Previous studies have shown that the incorporation of electrically conductive polymers in ADA-GEL hydrogel systems not only improves their conductivity but also maintains good biological properties of hydrogels [1,3]. However, a major drawback of conductive polymers is that their polymerization typically requires oxidizing agents, which can produce toxic byproducts. To address this limitation, this study employs enzymes as biological catalysts to generate reactive species in situ, enabling controlled polymerization while minimizing toxic by-products.

[1] K. Cysewska, L. Schöbel, A.R. Boccaccini. Electroconductive and highly biocompatible PEDOT- and polypyrrole-alginate–gelatin hydrogels with enhanced electrochemical performance for biointerfaces. Journal of Materials Chemistry B. 2026.
[2] L. Schöbel, A.R. Boccaccini. A review of glycosaminoglycan-modified electrically conductive polymers for biomedical applications. Acta Biomaterialia. 2023;169:45–65.
[3] X. Cui, C.M. Li, J. Zang, Q. Zhou, Y. Gan, H. Bao, J. Guo, V.S. Lee, S.M. Moochhala. Biocatalytic generation of Ppy-enzyme-CNT nanocomposite: From network assembly to film growth. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2007;111:2025–2031.